We’ve all heard the nightmare stories of people getting hit with outlandish fines for doing what so many consumers have now become accustomed to doing: illegally downloading music. These cases have been taken to court and some targeted individuals have been asked to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars.

To combat these seemingly random attacks on individuals who are made into examples, Canada has moved to cap fines associated with file-sharing at $5,000 (Canadian dollars, $5,035 US) for individuals. Penalties for piracy on a commercial level will remain the same.

“This Bill ensures that Canadians will not face disproportionate penalties for minor infringements of copyright by distinguishing between commercial and non-commercial infringement,” a Canadian FAQ page explained.

Will the U.S. follow suit, or will the powers that be prevent something similar from being enacted here?